From The Prayer Podcast to you and your loved ones, we want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. We are so happy that you are joining us today.

We now ask the Holy Spirit to be present with us as we enter into prayer. For where two or more are gathered in His name, there He will be in the midst of them.

Lord, in this holy season of prayer and song and laughter, we praise you for the great wonders you have sent us: for shining star and angel's song, for infant's cry in lowly manger. We praise you for the Word made flesh in a little Child. We behold his glory, and are bathed in its radiance.

Be with us as we sing the ironies of Christmas, the incomprehensible comprehended, the poetry made hard fact, the helpless Babe who cracks the world asunder. We kneel before you shepherds, innkeepers, wise men. Help us to rise bigger than we are. Amen.

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Thank you so much again for praying along with us and all of The Prayer Podcast listeners. Our hope is that we are able to provide you with another tool to bring you closer to God.

If you have any specific prayer intentions, questions, or feedback for The Prayer Podcast, please check out: ⁠theprayerpodcast.fm/welcome⁠ to connect with us or sign up to be a part of our prayer chain email list. We are also available on all social media platforms.

If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please visit our Patreon page at ⁠patreon.com/theprayerpodcast⁠.

Thank you and may God bless you! *We may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases through links in this post at no additional cost to you.

This week’s Advent topic is on the peace Our Lord brought into the world at His Birth.

The fourth week of Advent is now upon us. As we light the fourth candle, or sometimes called the Angels’ Candle, of the Advent wreath in our homes and churches, we reflect on and echo the words of the heavenly host proclaiming the birth of Jesus: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

We must choose to accept His peace. We can do this by striving to become a person with “whom his favor rests.” Peace is a grace readily available to those who are in communion with God through the sacraments and those that make peace in their earthly relationships. As Jesus taught in The Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

Into this world came the Prince of Peace. Into this world came Love incarnate. Into this world...came the only Son of God. With only His words He commands storms to be at peace by saying “Quiet! Be still.” May He also speak such words of peace into our weary souls so that we, too, can be at peace and in communion with Him.

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Thank you so much again for praying along with us and all of The Prayer Podcast listeners. Our hope is that we are able to provide you with another tool to bring you closer to God.

If you have any specific prayer intentions, questions, or feedback for The Prayer Podcast, please check out: ⁠theprayerpodcast.fm/welcome⁠ to connect with us or sign up to be a part of our prayer chain email list. We are also available on all social media platforms.

If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please visit our Patreon page at ⁠patreon.com/theprayerpodcast⁠.

Thank you and may God bless you! *We may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases through links in this post at no additional cost to you.

This week’s Advent topic is on hope; hope of the promises to come.

All around the world, Catholic Churches have begun this new season by lighting the first Advent candle, the “Prophecy Candle.” This candle represents hope and the fulfillment of the Lord’s promises.

As we enter into the season of Advent, let us first focus on the hope found through the birth of Christ. May we acknowledge how good our Father is by keeping His promises made through the prophets which foretold the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

According to the Catholic liturgical calendar, the first Sunday of Advent is the beginning of a new year. So happy new year to you!

As we do around January 1st, this first week of Advent is a great time to refocus our minds and our hearts on the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. We are now in a time of waiting and deep anticipation to celebrate the first coming of the Word made flesh.

From Isaiah to Micah and Jeremiah to Zechariah, among others, the Messiah’s coming was foretold over 40 times in the Old Testament and fulfilled over 40 times in the New Testament through Jesus.

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Thank you so much again for praying along with us and all of The Prayer Podcast listeners. Our hope is that we are able to provide you with another tool to bring you closer to God.

If you have any specific prayer intentions, questions, or feedback for The Prayer Podcast, please check out: ⁠theprayerpodcast.fm/welcome⁠ to connect with us or sign up to be a part of our prayer chain email list. We are also available on all social media platforms.

If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please visit our Patreon page at ⁠patreon.com/theprayerpodcast⁠.

Thank you and may God bless you!

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Pray this before Mass to focus on uniting your gifts and faults to the Cross. This prayer is inspired by Book 4 Chapter 9 of "The Imitation of Christ". Read it here.

If you have any specific prayer intentions, questions, or feedback for The Prayer Podcast, please check out: ⁠⁠⁠theprayerpodcast.fm/welcome⁠⁠⁠ or theprayerpodcast@gmail.com to connect with us or sign up to be a part of our prayer chain email list.

If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please visit ⁠⁠⁠theprayerpodcast.fm/support⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/theprayerpodcast⁠⁠⁠.

Thank you and may God bless you!

O Lord of all creation, heaven and earth proclaim Your glory. Today, I offer myself to You with a willing heart, to remain forever in Your service. Accept me, O God, as an offering of love and praise, united with the holy sacrifice of Your Son, given for the salvation of the world. May angels unseen bear witness to this offering, as I place myself entirely in Your hands.

Before Your altar, O merciful God, I lay down all my sins and failings, from the first moment I erred until now. Cleanse me, Lord, in the fire of Your love. Burn away the stains of guilt and restore to me the grace that sin has taken. Grant me pardon, not for my merit but for the sake of Your infinite mercy. Embrace me with the peace only You can give.

I confess my unworthiness and grieve over my offenses. In sorrow, I resolve never to sin again and to make amends as best I can. Hear my humble plea, O Lord, and look upon me with compassion. Save me by the power of Your precious Blood, and shape me according to Your goodness, not my flawed ways.

All that I possess, though little and imperfect, I offer to You. Purify these gifts, O Lord, that they may please You and serve Your purpose. Strengthen me to grow in holiness and to fulfill the mission You have entrusted to me, that I may reach the end You have destined for me—a life with You forever.

I lift up to You the prayers and needs of my family, friends, and all who have shown me kindness. Extend Your grace to them, protect them from harm, and deliver them from trials. May they, too, find joy in giving thanks to You and resting in Your care.

I pray for those who have wronged me and for those I have hurt, knowingly or unknowingly. Let Your mercy heal the wounds between us. Take from our hearts all bitterness, anger, and division, and fill them with love, understanding, and peace.

O Lord, pour out Your mercy on all who call upon You. Grant us strength to live in Your grace, hope to persevere through trials, and faith to one day enter eternal life in Your presence. May all we do glorify You, now and forever. Amen.

Don't forget to follow or subscribe to us on your favorite podcast platform to be notified when new prayers are released!

Thank you so much again for praying along with us and all of The Prayer Podcast listeners. Our hope is that we are able to provide you with another tool to bring you closer to God.

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If you have any specific prayer intentions, questions, or feedback for The Prayer Podcast, please check out: ⁠theprayerpodcast.fm/welcome⁠ or theprayerpodcast@gmail.com to connect with us or sign up to be a part of our prayer chain email list.

If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please visit ⁠theprayerpodcast.fm/support⁠ or ⁠patreon.com/theprayerpodcast⁠.

Thank you and may God bless you!

Lord, I believe in you: increase my faith.
I trust in you: strengthen my trust.
I love you: let me love you more and more.
I am sorry for my sins: deepen my sorrow.
I worship you as my first beginning,
I long for you as my last end,
I praise you as my constant helper,
And call on you as my loving protector.
Guide me by your wisdom,
Correct me with your justice,
Comfort me with your mercy,
Protect me with your power.
I offer you, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
My words: to have you for their theme;
My actions: to reflect my love for you;
My sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.
I want to do what you ask of me:
In the way you ask,
For as long as you ask,
Because you ask it.
Lord, enlighten my understanding,
Strengthen my will,
Purify my heart,
and make me holy.
Help me to repent of my past sins
And to resist temptation in the future.
Help me to rise above my human weaknesses
And to grow stronger as a Christian.
Let me love you, my Lord and my God,
And see myself as I really am:
A pilgrim in this world,
A Christian called to respect and love
All whose lives I touch,
Those under my authority,
My friends and my enemies.
Help me to conquer anger with gentleness,
Greed by generosity,
Apathy by fervor.
Help me to forget myself
And reach out toward others.
Make me prudent in planning,
Courageous in taking risks.
Make me patient in suffering, unassuming in prosperity.
Keep me, Lord, attentive at prayer,
Temperate in food and drink,
Diligent in my work,
Firm in my good intentions.
Let my conscience be clear,
My conduct without fault,
My speech blameless,
My life well-ordered.
Put me on guard against my human weaknesses.
Let me cherish your love for me,
Keep your law,
And come at last to your salvation.
Teach me to realize that this world is passing,
That my true future is the happiness of heaven,
That life on earth is short,
And the life to come eternal.
Help me to prepare for death
With a proper fear of judgment,
But a greater trust in your goodness.
Lead me safely through death
To the endless joy of heaven.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Don't forget to follow or subscribe to us on your favorite podcast platform to be notified when new prayers are released!

Thank you so much again for praying along with us and all of The Prayer Podcast listeners. Our hope is that we are able to provide you with another tool to bring you closer to God.

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This is what we call an intercessory decade of the Rosary. We both enjoy this form of prayer very much and use it often in our own prayer lives. Each intercessory decade that we produce will focus on specific prayer intentions that we feel moved to pray for or from our listeners. Join us on Patreon or email us at theprayerpodcast@gmail.com with your prayer intentions.

We ask for protection...
from pride.
from greed.
from lust.
from envy.
from gluttony.
from wrath.
from sloth.
from near occasions of sin.
from temptations to sin.
from spiritual death.

Don't forget to follow or subscribe to us on your favorite podcast platform to be notified when new prayers are released!

Thank you so much again for praying along with us and all of The Prayer Podcast listeners. Our hope is that we are able to provide you with another tool to bring you closer to God.

If you have any specific prayer intentions, questions, or feedback for The Prayer Podcast, please check out: theprayerpodcast.fm/welcome to connect with us or sign up to be a part of our prayer chain email list.

If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please visit theprayerpodcast.fm/support or patreon.com/theprayerpodcast.

Thank you and may God bless you!

*We may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases through links in this post at no additional cost to you.

Cut through the noise when looking for the best Catholic content online. Try out the "This Week in Catholicism" newsletter sent straight to your inbox with hand-picked Catholic content!

Don't forget to follow or subscribe to us on your favorite podcast platform to be notified when new prayers are released!

If you have any feedback for The Prayer Podcast, please check out: theprayerpodcast.fm/welcome to connect with us or sign up to be a part of our prayer chain email list.

If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/theprayerpodcast. If you liked this lectio divina, there are more on our Patreon page exclusively for our patrons.

Thank you and may God bless you!

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--------

Matthew 6:5-8

When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

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Don't forget to follow or subscribe to us on your favorite podcast platform to be notified when new prayers are released!

If you have any feedback for The Prayer Podcast, please check out: theprayerpodcast.fm/welcome to connect with us or sign up to be a part of our prayer chain email list.

If you are interested in supporting this ministry, please visit our Patreon page at patreon.com/theprayerpodcast.

Thank you and may God bless you!

-------- Affiliate Links*
Find great Catholic gifts at TheCatholicCompany.com. Free Shipping on orders over $75! 

Find Catholic books worth reading at TANBooks.com. Free Shipping on orders over $50!

Find your Catholic match on CatholicMatch.com!
--------

A Christmas Prayer by Fr. Karl Rahner

Now God says to us
What He has already said to the earth as a whole
Through His grace-filled birth:
I am there. I am with you.
I am your life. I am your time.
I am the gloom of your daily routine. Why will you not hear it?
I weep your tears - pour yours out to me.
I am your joy.
Do not be afraid to be happy; ever since I wept, joy is the standard of living
That is really more suitable than the anxiety and grief of those who have no hope.
I am the blind alley of all your paths,
For when you no longer know how to go any farther,
Then you have reached me,
Though you are not aware of it.
I am in your anxiety, for I have shared it.
I am in the prison of your finiteness,
For my love has made me your prisoner.
I am in your death,
For today I began to die with you, because I was born,
And I have not let myself be spared any real part of this experience.
I am present in your needs;
I have suffered them and they are now transformed.
I am there.
I no longer go away from this world.
Even if you do not see me now, I am there.
My love is unconquerable.
I am there.
It is Christmas.
Light the Candles! They have more right to exist than all the darkness.
It is Christmas.
Christmas that lasts forever.
Amen.

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